Should I Change My WFCO Converter?
Opinions have often been expressed, both on this and other RV forums, that most stock RV converters are inadequate to properly charge and maintain batteries and are often of poor quality. It is frequ...
Forum Discussion
Mike, I built my own camper, and do not have a 12v distribution panel and such. I have my fridge controls and heat fan/pump wired direct to the bank. Everything else is wired for 120v, just like a house, but off the inverter. My only experience with a converter, is trying to use one as a charger; which I've learned is a disaster, if you boondock. So others are much more qualified to discuss the ins and outs of converter set-ups. But I am convinced individual units are the best way to go, for folks who boondock often. As an example, some buy very expensive all-in-one units that "do-it-all". Problem is, when one component fails, it often means having to replace the whole unit. And that can cost over a thousand dollars! For half the money, one can have all three components.
The other nice thing about a bench power supply, is it can also be used as a converter. So one could have say two mega watts, one for charging, and one for simply converting. The one for converting can be set at the appropriate voltage, and left there, while the other is used for pretty much every type of charging possible. The problem is, there are all sorts of converters in the 45-75 amp range, but very few power supplies in that range.
Two things fill that gap. The PD converters discussed in this thread, (because they have that extended boost function to get the job done), and solar. The PD's can charge fast, but are limited to only regular charging. Solar can pretty much do it all, but is very slow at regular charging because of the lower amps. But that's o.k. because there's no hurry with solar. So the ultimate set-up is to have solar and a high amp power supply, (which is hard to come by). So round and round we go. My relatively inexpensive 60 amp Turnigy 1080w was supposed to solve the problem, but didn't.
So I hate to say it, but you might be best to go with a PD with the manual boost, for now, and down the road get a nice portable solar set-up. The PD will set you back $200, but so will any decent 50a power supply. Like I said, big amps cost big bucks. There just ain't no way around it. The PD will get the job done in a reasonable time frame, and as long as you keep the batteries topped up, they will not require EQ'ing.
The issue is, it takes much longer to charge from say 85-100% than it does from 50-85%, so unless you have solar, you will inevitably have to do long gen runs to keep things topped up. This has been my situation, and the main reason I'm going solar. And it's no different for anyone else who boondocks for any real length of time. If, however, you only boondock for a week at a time, you can always do 50-80's for a week, and then top things up at home, on shore power. However, this will indeed lead to having to EQ on a regular basis.
Another issue we have not discussed is the size of your generator. You must size your charger accordingly.
The other nice thing about a bench power supply, is it can also be used as a converter. So one could have say two mega watts, one for charging, and one for simply converting. The one for converting can be set at the appropriate voltage, and left there, while the other is used for pretty much every type of charging possible. The problem is, there are all sorts of converters in the 45-75 amp range, but very few power supplies in that range.
Two things fill that gap. The PD converters discussed in this thread, (because they have that extended boost function to get the job done), and solar. The PD's can charge fast, but are limited to only regular charging. Solar can pretty much do it all, but is very slow at regular charging because of the lower amps. But that's o.k. because there's no hurry with solar. So the ultimate set-up is to have solar and a high amp power supply, (which is hard to come by). So round and round we go. My relatively inexpensive 60 amp Turnigy 1080w was supposed to solve the problem, but didn't.
So I hate to say it, but you might be best to go with a PD with the manual boost, for now, and down the road get a nice portable solar set-up. The PD will set you back $200, but so will any decent 50a power supply. Like I said, big amps cost big bucks. There just ain't no way around it. The PD will get the job done in a reasonable time frame, and as long as you keep the batteries topped up, they will not require EQ'ing.
The issue is, it takes much longer to charge from say 85-100% than it does from 50-85%, so unless you have solar, you will inevitably have to do long gen runs to keep things topped up. This has been my situation, and the main reason I'm going solar. And it's no different for anyone else who boondocks for any real length of time. If, however, you only boondock for a week at a time, you can always do 50-80's for a week, and then top things up at home, on shore power. However, this will indeed lead to having to EQ on a regular basis.
Another issue we have not discussed is the size of your generator. You must size your charger accordingly.
